I've also run into two former dealers from 'this' room around town. The one is one of my favorite dealers, I ran into him while picking up carryout and he was picking up a Doordash order. Another one is now working at a Meijer near me. Tough times...

I will also say both are good, competent dealers, but definitely lower down in terms of seniority than the ones I've seen back in the room.

I had a dealer do the exact same thing to me just the other day. I got cold decked the entire night and was blinded down to half my buy in after calling a handful of preflop raises and not being able to continue. Kept playing tight waiting for a playable hand that never came and the dealer immediately started talking about how I hadn't played any hands in the past 2 hours when he sat down, started asking me if I know how to play tournaments. He tried saving face after I gave him a nasty look saying that he'd never seen a player as patient as me before and that he was impressed... Didn't say anything to the floor about it but I'll be damn sure I'm never tipping that guy

How does a brand new dealer know how you have been playing the last two hours? Makes no sense.

It was a small casino with only a single table running. The dealer that just sat down had been standing next to the floor's cashier booth watching the entire time

Sometimes what you have to do to make the best of a dealer like that is to just understand your image and try to use it to your advantage. Or just keep playing the same because the fish will call you anyway lol

This is incredibly important.

It is why I wouldn't say anything to the dealer at the table.

I would be too busy telling the dealer to give me really good hands. As if that is why I hadn't been playing much. Then I would start raising and 3-betting.

For me though that wouldn't be the dealer's comment. It would be "finally a hand you can't play!"

So in those cases I just quietly start to play tight. Might actually help me...